UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #762

Research Mentor Information
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Primary Research Mentor Name: Yueyang Lu
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns: he/him
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?: Dr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): yl24q@fsu.edu
Position Title: Post Doc
FSU College (if applicable): N/A
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies
Headshot (optional): https://cre.fsu.edu/system/files/webform/urop_project_proposal_portal/14436/Lu%2C%20Yueyang.png

Additional Research Mentor(s)
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Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above): {Empty}
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?: {Empty}
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): {Empty}
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable): {Empty}
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific?: {Empty}
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Overall Project Details
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Title of the Project: Investigating the U.S. east coast sea level change
Project Keywords: Sea level, physical oceanography, statistical analysis
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: No
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 1
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
Math, Physics, (Physical) Oceanography, or other relevant majors

Project Location:: Research Foundation Building A, 2000 Levy Ave #292, Tallahassee, FL 32310
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation?: No, the project is remote
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s):: Fully Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 5-10 hours
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work?: Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description:
Global mean sea level has risen by nearly 100 mm (~4 inches) since 1993, as estimated by NASA. However, this rise is not uniform globally - the rate of sea level change exhibits significant spatial and temporal variability, fluctuating over scales ranging from hours to years. Understanding the characteristics and drivers of regional sea level change is crucial for predicting future sea level and mitigating the impacts on coastal communities.
This project aims to understand and quantify the sea level variability in the US East Coast using observational data. The student will develop a fundamental understanding of the regional sea level dynamics, analyze the sea level variabilities across different time scales, and attribute the variabilities to underlying physical processes. 

Research Tasks:
- Reviewing literatures of sea level variability
- Downloading observational data of sea level
- Quantifying and separating the sea level variability across different scales using statistical methods such as linear fitting and spectral analysis 
- Identifying the physical processes impacting the variabilities
- Writing up and/or presenting the research findings

Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
Required: 
- Strong interest in sea level and physical oceanography
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Basic coding skill in MATLAB or Python, etc.
Recommended:
- Background or experience in fluid mechanics or physical oceanography
- Good knowledge in statistical methods including linear fitting and spectral analysis 
- Good writing and presenting skills for summarizing results

Mentoring Philosophy:
The overall goal that I propose this UROP project is to introduce self-motivated students into the sea level field of both scientific and social importance. 
As a postdoc, my research is on the sea level dynamics in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean using numerical ocean models. This UROP focuses on different geographic location and uses different method (observations). Therefore, I consider the mentee as a “collaborator” rather than an “assistant” of my own research. It means that I expect the mentee and I to both contribute to our understanding of this topic. 
For guidance, I will try to provide as much help as I could, including programing, searching relevant literature, and explaining basic physical concepts, etc. I will give the mentee sufficient freedom to dive into the direction that interests him/her. I welcome the mentee to come up with their own ideas about the topic. 
I endeavor to support an open and inclusive research environment. I would like to achieve a collaborative and reciprocal relationship between the mentee and me. 

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):: https://yueyanglu.github.io/
Please add any additional information here (if applicable)::
Feel free to reach out to me at yl24q@fsu.edu at any time if you have any questions. We can also discuss to modify/change the project if you are interested in other topics in physical oceanography (I can propose another project). My expertise can be found on my personal website above.



Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable?: Yes
Roundtable times and Zoom links:
Tuesday,       Sep 3, 4PM-4:30PM (https://fsu.zoom.us/j/98380996514)
Wednesday, Sep 4, 4PM-4:30PM (https://fsu.zoom.us/j/98380996514)
Thursday,     Sep 5, 4PM-4:30PM (https://fsu.zoom.us/j/98380996514)

Roundtable Info:
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UROP Program Elements
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Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes

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Year: 2024
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